boxes where you have an original bet. If you take insurance, then the insurance bet is placed in the normal spot and resolved dealer hand by dealer hand. If you surrender, then surrender bets are resolved hand by hand. The strategy is the same as with normal Blackjack.

Ø  Bust Out – This Blackjack side bet is rather like insurance. After the dealer turns over the hole card, and before the dealer hand is finished, this bet is available if the dealer has a stiff hand. A dealer stiff hand is a hand that must be hit and will bust if the dealer draws a ten. (Hard 12 through hard 16.) If the dealer then draws a ten, you will be paid two to one. This game can be easily beaten by card counters and, therefore, appears to have disappeared.

Ø  Seven and ½ – Seven and ½ is not really a Blackjack game at all, but an entirely different card game developed in Sicily. However, as it has appeared at times in Nevada and Atlantic City, and it is similar to Blackjack, it has been included. Seven and ½ is played like Blackjack with the following modifications:

·         The card deck has 40 cards with no eights, nines, or tens.

·         Aces always count as 1 and face cards count as ½.

·         The goal is to get as close as possible to 7½ instead of 21 without busting.

·         The dealer and the players are each dealt one card face up instead of two cards.

·         Each player, in turn, can hit, stand, surrender, or double-down just as in Blackjack.

·         If the player draws a pair of threes, twos, or aces, they may be split.

·         The dealer must draw to 4½ and stand on 5.

·         The dealer wins all pushes (ties).

Ø  Super Fun 21 – This is a new variation of single-deck Blackjack. You may hit and double split aces, double or surrender on any number of cards, and surrender after doubling. Several bonuses exist: player 21 with five or more cards pays 2:1, player hand of 20 or less with six cards automatically wins, player Blackjack always wins, and a diamond

 © 2009 Norman Wattenberger